EXPO ‘Estela Saez : Meet Me There’ – Galerie Rob Koudijs, Amsterdam (NL) – 8-22 Juin 2013

« Estela Saez: Meet Me There »  - Galerie Rob Koudijs  (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Sculpture and jewellery are in line with each other: both media manifest themselves as three-dimensional objects made from materials like metal, wood or plastics. The jewellery piece is usually distinguished by its dimensions and the fact that it might be worn. However, this is not the case with the work of the Spanish artist Estela Saez. Notwithstanding the smaller scale, her pieces have an exceptional monumentality and expressiveness. With some pieces, wearing them should be understood in the sense of taking them with you: to carry them in your hand. Saez’s visual language is akin to the austere Spanish art of the past century: the ‘matter paintings’ of Tàpies, Saura’s intense portraits, and the archaic power in the sculpture of Chillida.
Grasping the intentions and ideas behind Saez’s work is not so easy. Considering the title of the exhibition – Meet me there – her work refers to some location or, possibly, a state of mind. But what meets the eye are complex, rather abstract structures. One group is made up of spatial metal constructions, the rest of the pieces consist of piled sheets of semi-translucent quartz. Frugal details conjure up images of machines or armament; the clusters of quartz are reminiscent of rocky slopes or rough, far away landscapes. Are those the places where we are expected to meet? And what about the context: is Saez hinting at a civilization long gone astray, or, more specific, the remains of the violent twentieth century, or are these pieces heralding some remote future? Every association remains elusive. The artist will not help us out: she just puts all her efforts in developing her work, never tired of searching, always waiting for the unpredictable moment when the piece will be completed. In the end, it is in the object itself that we are to meet. After that, it’s all up to us.
Ward Schrijver (© Galerie Rob Koudijs)

Estela Sàez  Brooch: Solitud 2012  Oxidized silver

Estela Sàez  Brooch: I Think I’m Loosing Roots 2012  Oxidized silver, gold

Estela Sàez  Brooch: Self Shelter 2012  Silver, rose quartz

Estela Sàez  Necklace: La Casa Vella 2012  Silver, rose quartz

 

Galerie Rob Koudijs
Elandsgracht 12
1016 TV – Amsterdam
Netherlands
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website: www.galerierobkoudijs.nl
mail: [e-mail]